The Living Climate Change Video Challenge - 18 and Over

Zero Future: Working towards a Pollution-free World

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Everything we do affects the climate. In the future, we will have to manage every aspect of our lives from production to consumption in order to ensure a healthy planet for all species, including us. We must re-evaluate what it means to be sustainable, avoiding subjective associations of what we think means to be green. Nuclear energy can be just as clean as renewable sources given a full LCA. Electric vehicles can be worse than gasoline if the energy comes from coal. We have to consider the cost versus benefits of each solution. We must look objectively at facts but also understand human behavior, people are not going to sacrifice their immediate comfort for an abstract greater good. This video examines some of possible solutions that create a cleaner, healthier future through economic means without sacrificing comfort.

TRANSCRIPT:
Everything we do affects the climate.
Climate change, in turn, affects every aspect of our lives.
In order to reach a pollution-free future we must change how we live.

TRANSPORTATION
Cycling is good for urban commute, but cars are better for longer distances, especially when carpooling.
In the future, cars will be equipped with GPS and driven by computers, eliminating crashes and gridlock.
They will be built for lightness and aerodynamics, creating more efficient electric vehicles capable of computer-assisted hypermiling.

ENERGY
These vehicles will be powered by clean nuclear power in conjunction with renewable sources: wind, hydro, solar, and geothermal.

LIVING
The grid will be backed by local power generation to power energy-efficient houses.
Retrofitting, rather than new construction, is more economical and saves resources.
Green roofs will grow low-maintenance herbs and plants it will add insulation and filter water.

FOOD
Meat production causes more emissions than all of transportation combined (Source: Graham Hill's TedTalk).
New diets will have more local and seasonal foods, while greenhouse technologies let us continue to enjoy non-native ones.

WASTE
Businesses will be responsible for the full life-cycle of their products. Reducing and reusing save money and resources. Recycling will be used only as a last resort.

BUSINESS MODELS
Businesses will offer fewer products and more services,
creating deeper relationships with their customers.